Astronomy

October skies

Article Abstract:

Private astronauts Mike Melvin and Brian Binnie from Mojave, California flew SpaceShipOne on a suborbital trajectory on June 21, September 29 and finally on October 4, 2004. These performances were watched by many people and the team won the Ansari X Prize of $10 million for the first back-to-back non-government human flight to the edge of space.

The new etiquette of propulsion

Article Abstract:

The University of Washington, Seattle has created the Mini Magnetosphere Plasma Propulsion (M2P2), which ideally attracts ions from the sun, or solar wind, within its plasma sail or 'bubble' and sends the craft into space. The search continues in finding the optimal space propulsion unit that would be a combination of many technologies.

Risky business

Article Abstract:

Owner of Scaled Composites, describes about the risks involved in commercial spacelines industry. He discusses about the safety measures taken while designing SpaceShipOne (SS1) system and also about the risks involved in operating a rocket and its controls at low altitudes, which is very important for manned suborbital systems.